7 March 2025 I knew ‘immigrant nostalgia’ was a thing, but not that there’s a place in Lygon Street that’s dedicated to the idea ! Opening in mid 2023, Johnny, Vince & Sam’s is the brainchild of the 3 blokes called Sooshi Mango who do skits on YouTube dressed up as their nonnas and pappas. … Continue reading Nonna style →

5 March 2025 The fine restrained Georgian style offices at the Camberwell Tram Depot, built 1929. It has a corner piece like a little classical temple with a clock to keep the drivers on time perhaps. It was designed by Alan G Monsborough, who was the chief architect of the M&MTB from 1925-1938. The depot … Continue reading Camberwell Tram Depot →

3 March 2025 Truly appalling development in Grey Street St Kilda, completed in 2017, when I was outraged to discover it wasn’t just a case of facadism, but in fact they were allowed to demolish the whole lot, then rebuild the Victorian facade (probably because they were allowed to keep only the front wall, then … Continue reading Facadism ? No it’s all new →

2 March 2025 Repost 2021: The FG Scholes block at the former Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, 1949, one of the best things #PercyEverett ever did (and he did a lot). Always thought of it as the isolation ward, since it was a series of individual rooms with screened porches, but then the whole place was … Continue reading Zigzag modern At Fairfield Hospital →

27 February 2025 A grand Georgian style house in Landale Road Toorak; I thought it was maybe 1950s, since there’s few embellishments, but turns out it was built probably in the early 30s. It’s called Aroona, and the site and the street were once a larger estate of the same name with a fine 1869 … Continue reading Landale Road Toorak →

27 February 2025 Macpherson Robertson’s chocolate business, known by his nickname MacRobertson’s, started in Argyle Street Fitzroy in 1880, and by WW1 he had built a number of large factory and distribution warehouses in the area, mainly north of Johnston. The biggest one on the corner of Rose & Gore carried this huge neon sign … Continue reading Chocolate factories in Fitzroy →

23 February 2025 Some delicious Mock Tudor in Toorak, you’ve probably whizzed by on Williams Road, near Toorak. It’s got all the bits, some half-timbering, with complex brickwork in the gables, diamond page windows, tall chimneys, and a turret to boot. Looking a bit like a large house, it was built in 1933, designed PJ … Continue reading Toorak Tudor flats →

23 February 2025 The Sanitarium Factory in Warburton was in the news today, with a new redevelopment application coming up. This great Modernist cream brick landmark was completed in early 1938 by the Seventh Day Adventists to produce pure healthy products like Weet-Bix (one of my faves), which they did until 1997, when it was … Continue reading 30s Modernism in the hills →

21 February 2025 Halcyon, cnr Acland and Robe Street, #StKilda, 1886, architect #FrederickdeGaris. A typical towered #VictorianMansion, that had a billiard room, library and two coach houses - and I think still does. The architect was Frederick De Garis, who tended toward loads of elaboration, so this is relatively restrained for him, but features unusual … Continue reading Halcyon (days) and ‘tallest flats’ →

19 February 2021: Not my photo but isn’t it nice ? Can’t see this view from the street though. For sale for $26mill (!). Trawalla in Lascelles Road Toorak was built in 1868, and enlarged 1885, both designed by #LeviPowell (2nd time as Powell & Whitaker). I assume the wonderful verandah is 1868, but not … Continue reading Trawalla →